Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-09-28
coRRUpTIMG LEGISLATORS.
Senator's Cen WINGED That the Interests
Of the Central Pacific Needed
Their Attention.
Only Honest and Thrifty Men Taken
Into the Company at tho
Start.
New York telegram

p. c. Huntington appeared as q witness
before the Pacific Railroad Commission on
Friday, and the exami aation into the diff
serent letters sent to Mr.. Cotton was en-
tered upon. The first was in relation to
having convinced a certain Senator from
Florida Of the advantages of the Southern
Pacific Road to the Gulf States. The
witness did not know whether il was Sem
ator Jones or Senator Conover be referred
to. He know both gentlemen persona lily.
The next was relative to having o Cali
fornia Senator friendly to the road. Moth
ing could be extracted from Mr.. Hunting
ton on this head, except that Mr.. A..
A Sargent, whose name Mr.. Anderson
mentioned, would have been a most admir-
able man for the position. He was we'll
and able, and above suspicion. Following
this came q letter commenting upon the
a~dvisability of purchasing Senator Jones
tof Nevada} road, the Los Angeles and In
dependence, 80 as to induce him to favor
the Union Pacific and Northern Pacific
Railroads sinking fund bill. He bought
SAS hO"Ns ~ WV tNlosVop, " SSVVge
600. Jones was hard up. and witness knew
it would make Jones take q greater inter-
est in the Pacific roads if he took the other
one off his hands, 80 he took it.
Another letter brought in Mr.. Hunting
tons opinion Of socialism and the Con-
gress Of 1878. "This Congress Is an
agra ian camp. 1t is composed Of the
worst body Of men that ever got together
In the country"
"Do you recognize your sentiments in
that passage2" asked Mr.. Anderson.
We'll, OF late years have remarked
that there has been q considerable influx
of these anarchists and socialists into pub
lie places. They can not make money
themselves honestly, but l have remarked
that $4,000 is q great deal to them, and
they will do a lot for less"
Mr.. Huntington then entered into an
other explanation of how money could be
legltimately spent in influencing Congress.
Mr.. Huntington knew nothing about the
books of the Contract and Finance Com
pany. He knew that after building the
Central Pacific the company's debts we've
big and its assets nothing but Central Pa
citic stock Of less value than the amount OF
its debts.
Il never kept the books Of the company,
and carry most of my own business memo
randa under my hat, said he, and they
very seldom mlslead me-"
The witness went INTO the methods and
men employed in starting the Central Pa
clhc. Every n went in at his personal
Only good, honest, thrifty
men were taken in, like Gov. Stanford and
MIR. Croker. THE Government took
away orr power of repaying them quickly
when it subsidized parallel lines. That
not our fault. We have fulfilled every
obligation to the Government. 1t is they
who have broken tie contract. The ex-
penses at one time we're Freight,
insurance, provisions, everything, was
high during the war. Materials had 10
be shipped around Cape Horn a
year in advance, and thus interest
lost. At present the Government owes
Central 81, 000, 600, which it will moi
pay, and it won't pay interest on anything
it once has in its grasp. The most expensive
part OF the road was over the Sierra Neva-
das. 1t cost MIR. Croker more than the
came anywhere near paying him.
At M time it looked like a losing enter
prise. The risk was enormous. and it was
not until long afterward that the profits
slowed themselves"
Mr.. Huntington asserted that the Gov
eminent paid the Central Pacific less for
carrying the mails over the Sierra Nevadas
han it paid the level Eastern roads. To
which statement Mr.. Litter res onded
hat he would like to have the official data
that assertion, as il it was true it was a
very g%rieyous charge to prefer against the
The wit ess promised to
send in the full particulars.